BIRDS — nCIDAE — 6PHYRAPICUS. 1 '"> I 



The uniler parts are white ; the sides along the wings and under wing coverts banded trans- 

 versely with black. The under tail coverts are white without any bands. The two outer 

 (stiff) tail feathers are white, the basal portion black. There is ;i black spot in the white of 

 the inner, and a white one in the black of the second stiff feather. The next feather is black, 

 spotted terminally with white on the edges ; the next black with a single terminal spot. The 

 middle feather entirely black. 



Tills species requires no comparison with P. arcticus, which has the entire back uniformly 

 black. It differs from P. hirsutus in having the middle of the back streaked longitudinally witli 

 white, instead of banded transversely ; the upper tail coverts spotted with white. Tlie white 

 bands on the inner edges of the inner secondaries are broader, and extend nearly to the outer 

 web instead of being confined to the inner. The under tail coverts are pure white instead of 

 banded with black, and the markings of the tail are somewhat different. The size is rather 

 larger ; the bill longer and narrower. 



This species differs from P. tridadylus of Europe in the pure white under tail coverts, and 

 the more distinctly longitudinal patch of white on the back. The two middle tail feathers on 

 either side only are black, (and, in fact, the second has a white spot,) while the others are much 

 variegated with white. The exposed portions of the outer feathers are entirely white, instead 

 of being conspicuously banded with black. The sides are banded, not streaked, with black. 



In the Conspectus Volucrum Zygodactylorum of Bonaparte, mention is made of Picoides 

 crissoleucos of Brandt, " Kamtschatkensis, Bp.," which may possibly be the present species, 

 especially as it agrees in the white crissum. I have not been able, however, to find the 

 original description, nor have I at present access to the figures of Reichenbacli in Icones avium. 

 It is, however, hardly likely that a summer bird, found breeding as far south as the parallel of 

 42° in the Eocky mountains, should occur also in Kamtschatka.' 



List of specimens. 



SPHYRAPICUS, Baird. 



Pilumnus, Bon. Consp. Zygod. Ateneo Italiano, May, 1854. (P. thyroideus.) 



Bill as in Picus, but the lateral ridge, which is very prominent, running out distinctly to the commissure at about its middle, 

 beyond which the bill is rounded without any angles at all. The culmen and gonys are very nearly straight, but slightly 

 convex, the bill tapering rapidly to a point ; the lateral outline concave to very near the slightly bevelled tip. Outer pair of 

 toes longest ; the hinder exterior rather longest ; the inner posterior toe very short ; less than the inner anterior without its 

 claw. Wings long and pointed ; the fourth longest. Tail feathers very broad, abruptly acuminate, with a very long linear 

 point. 



This genus is very remarkable in the prominence of the lateral ridge, and its termination in 

 the middle of the commissure, with the narrowness and low situation of the nostrils. I do not 

 feel exactly satisfied with the position of P. luilliamsoni in the genus, as, although the bill is 



^ As these sheets are passing through the press, 1 find that P. crissokucus has the under parts entirely white, without bands 

 or streaks. The under wing coverts even are white, wliile in all the other species they are spotted with bljck. Reichenbach, 

 Handbuch, VI, 1855, 362. 



